App to help deaf people communicate

About the solution

Thibault was inspired by his mother, father and sister who are all deaf. He could see first-hand how difficult it was for individuals who are hard-of-hearing to follow more than one speaking voice at a time.

“In my family, we call it ‘the Thanksgiving syndrome,’ where everyone is talking at once,” he said. “For a deaf person, losing the flow of the conversation makes you suddenly feel super alone because so many people are talking around you that it’s all a blur.”

Transcence shows in real-time what people are saying around you. So that everyone can understand, participate, and thrive in the conversation.

With perfect hearing, Duchemin naturally became a vital connection between his family and the outside world. Surrounded by his parents – an economist and photographer – and his younger sister, he grew up with the feeling of being deaf without physically being so. His first language was French sign language.

“I had no problem switching between deaf and non-deaf communication,” Duchemin says. “I always did translations for my family: answering the phone, meeting with doctors and bankers. It puts you in that position of being useful; it just feels normal. I was a free interpreter, a bridge.”

This solution shall not include mention to the use of drugs, chemicals or biologicals (including food); invasive devices; offensive, commercial or inherently dangerous content. This solution was not medically validated. Proceed with caution! If you have any doubts, please consult with a health professional.

About the author

Thibault Duchemin, born in 1990, from France, is the CEO of Berkeley-based startup called Transcense, whose entry is a mobile app that helps people with hearing disabilities by tracking conversations in the surrounding area and translating the sound into text for mobile and tablet use in real time.